Conveyer



Dec. 31, 1929. F. A. HANSEN CONVEYER 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 25, 1928 i INVENTOR.

14 -//?725e22, 2 BY ATTORNEY Dec. 31, 1929. F. A. HANSEN CONVEYER I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1928 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY Dec. 31, 1929. A F. A. HANSEN CONVEYER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 v Filed Jan. 25, 1928 INVENTOR. 44 f/cmzsen,

BY 1 Q ATTORNEY Dec. 31, 1929. F. A. HANSEN 1,741,516

' CONVEYER Filed Jan. 23, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

[14. flawseza,

BY 6 d ATTORNQ Dec. 31,1929. F. A. HANSEN 1,741,516

VCONVEYER Filed Jan. 23. 1928 5 Sheets- Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

BY 6 w ATTORNEY Patented Dec. '31, 1929 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE FRED A. HANSEN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB TO HEVI- DUTY ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN convnxnia Application filed January 23, 1928. Serial No. 248,927.

My invention relates broadly to a conveyer and more particularly to a movable carrier adapted to heat treatment furnaces, either of the fuel-fired or electrically heated type.

The object of my invention is to provide a conveyer for heat treatment furnaces that will withstand high temperature heat action and which will have the least tendency to mar orscratch the articles being conveyed through the heat treatment furnace.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of conveying means for heat treatment furnaces whereby no portion of the articles being heat treated is constantly in Contact with the conveying mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a conveyer construction having the conveying parts formed from comparatively short pieces of stock to lessen the probability of distortion and warpage under heat action, and to have the parts readily replaceable.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a construction of conveyer for heat treatment furnaces superior to the chain con veyers and so-called rocking-beam conveyers heretofore employed which are not economical in operation due to heavy heat conduction losses in their operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mechanism for a heat treatment furnace by which articles may be I advanced through the furnace'upon a set of reciprocatory beams, means being provided to raise the articles from the beams in timed relation to the reciprocatory movement of the beams so that the articles are carried forward upon each longitudinal movement of the beams in one direction and maintained out of contact with the beams, while the beams are returning to their initial position and subsequently restored upon the beams for a further longitudinal movemento'ver a predetermined time period.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in the construction and arrangement of furnace mechanism described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the furnace structure partially broken away and illus-' trated in cross-section; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the furnace structure on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isa diagrammatic View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2

showing the arrangement of shafts formingv the actuating mechanism for the conveyer of myv invention; Fig. 4 1s a lateral cross-sectional view through the furnace structure on line H of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the structure of the auxiliary beam system employed in the conveyer; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the auxiliary beam structure e1nployed in the conveyer system of my invention; Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing the structure of the operating cams for the auxiliary beam structure showing the lower extremity of the lifting rods; Fig. 8 is a crosssectional view through the operating cam and lifting rod of Fig. 7; Figs. 8 and 8 are diagrammatic views explaining my invention; Fig. 9 shows the arrangement of the abutting end of one of the crank arms/with the end of the beam structure; and F 10 is a crosssectional view of one of the sections constitut ing the conveyer.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the furnace structure'is shown elevated from a supporting base with'mec'hanism disposed beneath the structure and extendinghorizontally for the distance through which the articles to be heat treated are passed.

The furnace consists of an outer shell 7. containing refractory insulation walls 8, containing a heating chamber 9, shown heated electrically by means of coils 28 in apertures at the bottom of the furnace chamber follow-. ing customary practice of the art. Heating coils can also be shown as installed on the side walls 29 and arch 30, as set forth more particularly inLetters Patent No. 1,614,321, to E. L. Smalley, dated January 11, 1927.]

The conveyer consists of sections of horizontally conveying rails 3 extending longitudinally through the furnace, and lifting rails 10 extending longitudinally through the furnace. I The preferred form of each section of. the conveyer is shown in Fig. 10 where three webs are angularlyv disposed with respect to three interchangeable positions for supportconveyer extend over the bearing plates for a substantial distance at each limit of longitudinal. movement of the conveyer sections.

By reason of the sectionalconstruction of v gaging rollers 21 on the bottom of liftin the conveyer the parts in the conveyer may be readily renewed as the rails become worn from time to time in addition to the fact that each section of the rails may be reversed to present a new supporting web to the material whenever the sections may become worn.

In Figs. 1 and 2, reference character 11 designates an electric motor transmitting power through spur gear 12 to a speed reducer 13, and a gear reduction 14, through chain 15 to shaft '16 extending longitudinally below the furnace. On' shaft 16 are shown mitre gears-17'engaged with bevel gears 18 which are mounted on transverse shafts 19. On transverse shafts 19 are shown cams 5 enshafts 4. On the other'transverse shafts 22 are mounted other cams 23, engaging rollers 51 at the bottom end of pushing levers 6. It will thus be seen that a vertical or lifting motion is imparted to lifting rods 4, correspond-- ing to the difi'erence between the shortest and greatest radii of cams 5. 'Similarly, motion is imparted to levers 6 by means of cams 23.

Cams 5"are so designed andmounted on transverse shafts 19 that no action is imparted to lifting rods 4 while cams 23 are imparting a motion to levers 6, thereby leav' ing rails 10 inactive while conveying rails 3. are in motion. 7

Material to be conveyed by rails 3 is, there fore, moved in successivj ste 5 through the furnace and lifting rails 101i the work free from rails 3 while rails 3 are in motion. Be cause the topfedge of rails' 3 are above the horizontal plane of rails. 10, the material being conveyed is not in contact with rails 10 except when rails 10 are lifting. This operation is clearly shown in the diagrammatic views Figs. 8 and 8". In 8 the article A under heat treatment is being advanced through the furnace on rails 3. In Fig. 8 rails 10 have raised article A from rails 3 and rails 3 can swing b'ackQto a. postion where article A can be restored for the succeedingadvance movements. I p

Mounted on each end of thefurnace shell, I provide a yoke casting 25 having a plurality of holes 26 through which a pin 27 can.be inserted, thereby providing a movable fulcrum 27 for levers 6. In lever 6 are provided holes 31 corresponding to holes 26 in yoke 25 for receiving pin 27.

In the bottom casting 32 of hftmg rods 4 1s shown a roller 21 revolvable about pm 34 and in the arms which are integral with casting 32, there are pins 35 engaged in grooves 36, following the contour of the sldes of cams o. If, for any reason, lifting rods 4 do not descend by force ofgr'avity, p1ns 35 engaged in grooves 36 will exert a posltlve downward force on lifting'rods 4 to keep wheels 21 in contact or in near contact with cams 5. g

Lifting rails'are provided at one end on the under face with lugs 37, which lugs are engageable with the hollow end of lifting rods 4, beingshown in tubular form 1n Fig. 6.

These lugs 37 keep rails 10 inconstant align- 9 ment. IVhen rails 10 are assembled as shown in top plan, Fig. 5, ends 38 of rails 10 are free i to expand by heat action, but are kept in proper alignment by means of slots formed in the walls of rod 4'at 39.

In Fig. 9 is shown a head 40 adjustable bv lock nut 41 on threaded portion of ad-,

justable head 40. The upper extremity of lever 6 is taped at 43 to receive threaded stud] 42. The adjustment of heads 40 permits leaving'a predetermined. clearance between head 40 and the ends of conveying rails 3. The

g adjustment of this head, therefore, provides a means for overcoming the effect of different expansions which might exist in the several conveying rails in any one furnace. Each rail 3 will be progressed in an amount equal to .the action of lever 6 less the space 20.,

between adjustable head 40 and the ends of rails 3. The lower end of lever. 6 is provided with a roller 51 which contacts with the surface of ca1n23-and is rocked by the rotation thereof in accordance with the shape of the cam surface.

It will be noted that from a given action. as by one revolution of cam 23, the resulting tion of the pin 27 in yoke 25 and-lever 6,

" action can be alteredv by changing the Idea because the load arm and power arms of lever 6 are thereby alterable at-will, or if preferred, the speed may. be changed by adjustment of the speed reducer 13.

' The operation of the beams or rails 3 is so timed with respect to the operation of the auxiliary beam 10 that articles-normally rest-' ing upon the beams 3 are carried forward for the distance of longitudinal movement" of the rails 3 and then raised clear of the beams 3, while the beams 3 are returning by backward movement. returned to initial position, the auxiliary beams 10 drop down and restore the articles wh1ch are being heat treated to-the beams to the next successive step 3 preparatory X through the furnace. It will therefore seen When the beams havethat material may be subjected to heat treatment over a predetermined time period where the material is advanced step by step by an amount readily controllable by predetermined adjustment of the head 40.

It will be observed that the conveyer of my invention avoids the disadvantages of chain conveyers and rocking-beam conveyers. The articles being heat treated are intermittently in contact with "the conveying mechanism and are progressed through the fur- 'nace in a manner by which the maximum effect from the heat treatment may be b tained. j

The structure of my invention has been found to be extremely practical and while I have described a preferred embodiment of the conveyer mechanism, I. desire that it be understood that modifications may be made and that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than are imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a system for heat treatment, a furnace structure, a plurality of beams extending through said furnace structure for carry ing articles to be subjected to heat treatment, a drive shaft, a plurality of cams mounted on said driveshaft, rocker arms pivotally mounted at opposite ends of said furnace structure, the extremities of said rocker arms engaging cams at the ends thereof and engaging the ends of saidbeams .at the other extremities thereof for imparting reciprocatory motion to said beams in a substantially horizontal plane, auxiliary beams positioned intermediate said first mentioned beams, and means extending between cams actuated by said drive shaft and said auxiliary beams for imparting vertical movement thereto in timed relation to the reciprocatory movement of said first mentioned beams.

2. In a conveyer structure for furnaces, a plurality ofsup'portingmembers positioned at intervals through said furnace, seats formed on said supporting members, longitudinally extending beams comprisinga plurality of independent sections extending between adjacent seats with their ends'in abutment and'slidably supported on said seats, each of said sections comprising a plurality of angument.

. larly disposed webs, two of said Webs riding in sliding engagementwith said seats and another of said webs providing a carrier surface for articles being subjected to heat treat- 3. In a conveyer structure for'furnaces, a plurality of supportingmembers positionedat intervals through said furnace, seats formed .on said supporting members, longitudinally extending beams comprising a lurality of independent sections extending .etweenadjacent seats with their ends in abutmpnt and ing parallel to said ,reciprocatory beams, the end of each of said sections lying adjacent each other in the extremities of said rod members whereby said sections may be moved viding supports for sections of a rail extendvertically with respect, to said vreciprocatory beams in accordance with the movement of said rod members.

5. In a conveyer for furnaces, a furnace structure, a plurality of reciprocatory beams extending through said furnace structure, a

plurality of vertically extending members positioned adjacent said beams, means for imparting vertical movement to said vertically extending'members, a plurality of rail sections each having lugs adjacent the ends thereof arranged to fit into the upper extremities of said vertically extending members and each overlapping toform a continuous rail parallel to said reciprocatory v beams, whereby said sections maybe moved vertically with respect to said reciprocatory beams in accordance with the movement of said vertically extending members.

6. In a conveyer for furnaces, a furnace structure, a plurality of reciprocatory beams extending through said furnace structure, a

plurality of vertically extending members positioned adjacent said beams, means for imparting vertical movement to said vertically \extending members, each of said members being grooved at its unnerextremity, a plurality'of railsections having their ends overlapping and having downwardly depending lugs thereon, the overlapping ends of said rail sections being arranged, to fit within the grooved extremities of said members, with the lugs thereon protruding to a position within said members, whereby said sections form a substantially continuous rail vertically movablein accordance with the-motion of said members. 7 a

7. In a' conveyer for furnaces, a furnace structure, a pluralityv oflbeams extending through said furnace structure, means for' Y mounting each of said beams for reciprocatory movement in said furnace structure, brackets supported adjacent the 'ends of said furnace structure, levers fadjustably fulcrumed in said brackets, and means-for mov mg one end of each of said levers for engaging the ends of each of said beams at the opposite end of each lever for imparting reciprocatory forces to each of said-beams.

8.- In a conveyer for furnaces, a furnace structure, a plurality of beams extending through said furnace structure, means for mounting each of said beams for reciprocatory movement in said furnace structure, brackets supported adjacent the ends of said furnace structure, levers adjustably fulcrumed'in said brackets, means for moving one end of each of said levers for engaging the ends of each of said beams at the opposite end of each lever for imparting reciprocatory forces to each of said beams, and means for variably controlling therate of movement of said levers for correspondingly controlling the reciprocatory speed of said beams.

9. In a conveyer for furnaces, a furnace structure a plurality of beams extending through said furnace structure forsupporting articles to be heat treated, means for mounting said beams for reciprocatory movement, and rockable levers pivotally mounted adjacent the end of said furnace structure, means for imparting variable movement to the lower ends of said levers, and adjustable heads carried by the upper ends of said levers and providing abutments with the ends of said beams for imparting reciprocatory movement to said beams.

10. In a conveyer, a furnace structure, a plurality of beams extending through said furnace structure for supporting articles to mentwiththe ends of said beams, and means for imparting variable speed'to the lower ends of said levers at a predetermined rate be heat treated, means for slidably mount-- furnace structure, a plurality of beams extending through said furnace structure for supporting articles to be heat treated, means for mounting said beams free for reciprocatory movement, and rockable levers pivotally mounted at one end of said furnace structure and engaging the ends of said beams, and means for varying the length of stroke of said levers for controlling the rate of reciprocatory movement of said beams.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' FRED A. HANSEN.

for correspondingly imparting reciprocatory forces to said beams at a selected rate.

:11. In a conveyer structure for furnaces, a furnace structure, a plurality of beams extending through said furnace structure for supporting articles to be heat treated, means for mounting said beams free for reciprocatory movement and rockable levers pivotally mounted at one end of said furnace structure and engaging the ends of said beams for imparting reciprocatory motion to said beams. 12. In a conveyer structure for furnaces, a furnace structure, a plurality of beams extending through said furnace structure for supporting articles to be heat treated, means for mounting said beams free-for reciprocatory movement, and rockablelevers pivotally mounted at each end of said furnace and en- 05 13. In a conveyer structure for furnaces, a 

